


He doesn't deserve your loyalty...and yet he does

by purplpeanut



Series: Merlin fanfics [1]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst, Feels, First Kiss, Fluff, Gwaine Being Gwaine, M/M, abuse because uther doesn't win father of the year award, at least I hope, be warned-very emotional, past life-in dream
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 15:24:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7719970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purplpeanut/pseuds/purplpeanut
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a land of mist and a time of magic, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young man. His name? Merlin. </p><p>In a land of magic, and a time of mist, the destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young man. His name? Arthur.</p>
            </blockquote>





	He doesn't deserve your loyalty...and yet he does

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, I've been working on this for a while, and I was like, yes it's finally done I can post it XD  
> So here it is, I've been in a state of let's rewatch BBC's Merlin because it's such a good show, and I absolutely love the actors and how they portray their characters. So well...get ready for a ton of merlin fanfics haha. 
> 
> REMEMBER: I do not own the characters, I just happen to steal them for a short time and use them for shenanigans. All copyright is followed, and we owe BBC for this wonderful show.

Arthur shut the book, the old leather falling apart book that their teacher had given them, and tucked it, very carefully into his bag. It wouldn’t do to have it fall apart, especially when the teacher had said to take good care of it. In class, they had been learning about King Arthur, his knights of the round table, and especially the great sorcerer, Merlin. There was also a reference to someone named Emrys but it had been long forgotten in history altogether, so professor Kilgharrah never really taught about it. It was funny that they were studying this, for his father had always had such an interest in the old legend. Uther owned a business called Pendragon Publishing, as if they could somehow create tales like those of old that would last hundreds of years into the future. Uther wanted to try, but so far, no luck. But they had made a business out of it, and he knew that when Uther fell ill and could no longer run it, that Arthur would have to step in his place as CEO. He was already training the heck out of him.

 

The bell rang and he went to meet up with his friends, and get ready for football practice. The big game was tonight and they’d have to do everything in their power to win. So he called for the water boy, his name was Jenkins, what an odd name indeed. “Anybody fancy a little game of ...target practice?” he asked. The poor water boy shook his head, as if that would stop the boys from kicking balls at him with a stubborn trait of theirs. As it so happens, as this was going on, a much scrawnier boy with a head of black hair, big ears, a curious smile, and glowing blue eyes was making his way around the school. His mother Hunith had moved with him here, after his father Balinor, had been led off by the lawmen of the distant country, for a crime that he did not commit. From the rumors they could gather that he was still running himself ragged across the countryside where the kings men gave chase. Hunith, fearing the safety of her only son, had moved them here. Many other members of their tiny village had come with them, including Merlin’s close friend Will. It was with some exception that Merlin had been running himself ragged, trying to catch up with the absurd amounts of homework his college professors were giving him. The only fun class that he was taking so far, was with Mr. Kilgharrah, and he himself had an assigned reading contained in a very large heavy leather book. It was the tale of King Arthur and Merlin, Dear Gweneviere, and the knights of the round table, Gwaine and Percival, Leon and Lancelot, Ellion. 

 

He was so tucked in to his book he didn’t know what was going on on the football field he had been walking around, when he heard a cry, and looked up in time to see the young gangly waterboy barrel into him. They both fell to the ground in a mess of limbs, and Merlin was glad his leather book hadn’t fallen apart. “What’s going on?” He tried to say, but the water boy was already getting up, the back of the football’s hitting him in the head, even as the team laughed. He looked upon them, and knew he shouldn’t have done anything, should have picked up his book, dusted himself off, and walked away, but just seeing something like this, he knew he had to do something. 

 

“Hey brad, what are you doing?” he called out, tucking the leather book with the stitched binding into his bag. 

“Prat?” the blond, who seemed to be the team captain himself whipped his head around. “who called me that?” he asked out loud, as his eyes fell on to Merlin. “You! Did you just call me a prat?!” he yelled, his finger pointing at the boy. 

 

“Yeah,” he spoke up, his hand clutching his book bag strap, “What the hell do you think you’re doing, bullying the weak?” he asked. “Who do you think you are, Uther Pendragon?” It was well known that Uther Pendragon, while one of the wealthiest men in this land, was not the best of people. 

 

“No, I’m his son Arthur,” came the reply, and Merlin almost bit off the tip of his tongue. Almost. “and no one calls me a prat!” that statement made him look like a little kid, the way he stood up as tall as he could and puffed out his chest. Merlin couldn’t help himself. 

 

“Was I not supposed to call you a prat, your majesty?” his sarcasm spoke volumes, and Arthur felt frustrated. How could such a...a…peasant, make him so frustrated?

 

“I bet I could take you on...and win,” Merlin flashed a smile, and glared at the boy. The blond haired boy, instead of quivering, had a smile that spread across his face. His team mates were shocked, they had never seen an actual Arthur smile before. They looked back and forth between the unlikely pair that was now crossing swords. 

 

“Alright. How bout here and now, in soccer? One on one? First who scores a goal wins?” 

 

Merlin knew he shouldn’t have gotten himself into this mess, but if he backed down now, they would go on to bully some other boy and he didn’t want that. “Fine!” he cried, throwing down his bookbag onto the nearest bleacher and proceeding to march over there. Arthur laughed, the boy wasn’t even in the proper gear, but he wanted so badly to beat him. 

 

Five minutes later, the game had started, and Arthur was already breathless. The anticipation of his opponents next move hadn’t done so good, as this boy would faint or show some actual skill that they could use on the team, and some other times he was downright clumsy. It made matters even worse, that he was faster than Arthur could actually think of seeing, and the winning goal had gone to the boy, after Arthur had tripped on his own shoelaces, how had he managed to do that? and had fallen. Merlin, the victor, had instead of grabbing the football, had walked over to Arthur and offered a hand, which Arthur had taken, not because they were equals or anything but because he wanted to get off of the ground. 

 

“The name’s Merlin...Merlin Morgan,” the boy with the black hair, big ears said, with a wide smile that showed his dimples, and an almost sarcastic undertone. “And I take it that you are Arthur James, of the Pendragon corporation?” 

 

“That’s right,” he says gruffly, as he takes the stranger's hand and shakes it. Merlin, that boy, takes back his hand. “So why’s your last name James, if your father’s is Pendragon?” he asked. Arthur stared at him, wide eyed and in shock. Nobody had asked him that. 

 

“I wanted to take my mother’s maiden name. I wish...she was still here.” Merlin’s eyes immediately became downcast. “I’m sorry to hear that mate,” he whispered, “But next time don’t go picking on the other beings,” he said as he drew away. Arthur nodded, and sighed, as he headed in to get changed. He had a meeting with Mr. Kilgharrah, the only class that he was failing. He needed a tutor, and Mr. Kilgharrah had said that he had just the person in mind. 

 

When he gets to Mr. Kilgharrah classroom, all tidied up, he finds not only the professor sitting in his desk with a very amused smile on his face, but Merlin sitting there, halfway through reading the leather bound book. “Hullo, Arthur,” Merlin says with a wave of his hand before returning to his book. 

 

“What’s he doing here?” Arthur demanded, wondering why in the hell the two of them, both professor and student, shared shit eating grins. 

 

“He,” as the professor so tactfully put it, “Will be your new tutor. As HE is the only one out of all of my classes, actually passing with flying colors.” Arthur’s eyes narrowed at the boy, who tried his best to appear innocent behind the book he was reading. “Now sit down Mr. James, and try not to burn a hole through any of the desks in my classroom. I will be right back, and I do mean right back.”

 

“That’s right, Arthur,” Merlin smirked, “Do your best to sit down and I’ll try to make this as painless as possible.” Arthur harrumphed but did as he was told, even though the innocent smile had changed to a smirk on Merlin’s face, and his mirrored the professors as well. 

 

“So, did you do the reading?” he asked. 

 

“What reading?” Arthur had countered back. He was going to do the reading, but then there was the game, and then Uther, his father, had called him up. And no matter what he was doing, he was to drop all of that, and run to his father, at beck and call, his sister Morgana had said. After hours of doing the paperwork that Uther didn’t want to do, and said it was practice for Arthur but they both knew that was bullshit, he was so tired, that he nearly passed out as soon as he made it into his apartment. He just hadn’t had time. But Merlin, wasn’t the one for excuses. 

 

“Get out your book, and turn to page three hundred and seventy four.” Looking at Arthur’s face with a raised eyebrow, he quickly defended himself. “What? I always wanted to say that.” 

 

Arthur reached into his backpack and pulled out the heavy leather bound book, and dropped it onto the desk. Then daring to glance a look at Merlin, who was still smirking with his arms crossed against his chest, he turned to the page. “Now please read the chapter, when you are done, you can answer my questions.” 

 

Arthur sighed. For three hours they worked on it, until Arthur thought that he had it down. Merlin, wasn’t so easily reassured. “Just remember that we have a quiz on this in two days. If you fail, you won’t be on the football team anymore,” he said it so carelessly to him, that Arthur thought the kid might’ve thought that football needn’t have mattered. 

“I’ll get it done,” he says angrily, glancing at his watch, before hurriedly packing up. 

 

“And just where are you going?” Merlin asked, an eyebrow raised. 

 

“I’ve got to get going or my father’s going to kill me. Look Merlin, I’ll see you tomorrow,” and with that over the shoulder comment Arthur James was out the door, leaving Merlin staring at him. He sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he grabbed his book and shoved it into his bag. Why was this boy causing him trouble?

 

He headed out the door even as Mr. Kilgharrah came in. 

 

“I wasn’t gone for that long was I?” asked the teacher. 

 

Merlin shook his head. “It seems Arthur has other priorities,” he said with a wave of his hand. The professor could tell that he was upset. 

 

“I am sorry to hear that,” he whispered, his head bent down, “But Arthur has to do things that he doesn’t tell anyone about. A secret side of him I guess. Make sure to watch over him,” he whispers, and nudges Merlin who nudges back. 

 

“I have to go as well. Might as well tell Gaius I am free a little earlier than usual.” Merlin goes off down the hallway in the opposite direction that Arthur had leaving Mr. Kilgharrah to ponder his thoughts. 

 

“You two share a unique destiny. The pen to the sword. Remember to use your magic wisely, young warlock.” With a little chuckle he entered his classroom again, and vanished. 

 

Chapter 2

 

Arthur was already running pretty late, as he changed into his articulate suit with a hurried sense of urgency, and nearly almost ran to his father’s company when he realized that would make him look even more late, and just wasn’t done. And so like any self respecting busnessman would do, he took the bus. When he finally burst into his father’s office, he chanced a look at the clock. He was only a few minutes late, but judging from his father’s face, that was far too late. 

 

“Arthur, I must ask, why you would grace yourself in my prescence, late like a common peasant,” the conversation didn’t start off very well and Arthur gulped audibly. 

 

“I’m sorry father,” he starts but instead is met with a harsh retort. 

 

“Sorry?! Never say sorry, that’s a weakness! It’s better to ask for forgiveness, then say sorry!” he yells causing Arthur to flinch. He wished, not for the last time, that his mother Ygraine was still alive. She always knew what to say to calm his father down. 

“Please forgive me father, for being late,” he says trying to keep his voice steady from the emotions that threaten to spill inside him. 

 

His father shakes his head, “No. Not again. You need to learn Arthur, that this is a dog eat dog world. We’ll discuss this later when we get home.” Hearing those words, makes Arthur nearly flinch, fear and desperation reflecting themselves in his eyes. ‘We’ll discuss this later when we get home,’ boded for nothing but trouble. He was saved from answering when his sister, Morgana happened upon the room. 

 

“Father, I need Arthur for just a moment,” she says quietly, but with a gaze as strong as Uther’s. It seems that she has won, because his father bows his head and says, “Take him. I no longer have need of him.” Arthur follows his sister’s presence out of the wood oak doors which closed heavily behind them and follow her down the corridor into her office. 

 

“What did he say?” she immediately asks as soon as her own door closes. 

 

“He said that we’ll discuss this later when we get home,” says Arthur his body shaking as he knows what is coming. There will be the cold hearted angry yelling, there will be objects thrown as Uther will come home drunk, and if he is lucky he will avoid the hits that come from his father’s fists. Morgana sighs, and grabs from under her desk, a huge bag. “what is this?” he asks, looking to Morgana who looks at him. 

 

“I never thought that you’d have to use this, but I’m glad I prepared. If you come home, he’ll kill you. And I rather like you alive dear brother,” she whispers as she hands him the bag. “I have a friend in town, just moved mind you. They’ll let you stay so don’t screw this up,” she whispers as she hands him a crumpled up piece of paper, which has only an address and a phone number marked as the one he should call his sister if anything comes up. 

 

“What about Uther?” he asks, not wanting to leave his sister with Uther’s fury. 

 

“I’ll handle him,” she responds, “And I’ll call in Gaius. Maybe he can settle him down,” she adds with a certain air, as she straightens herself up. “Now leave, right now, go onto the bus line 47.” 

 

“That’s two blocks from here!” he says. She nods. 

 

“Do you really want to stand outside of the building where Uther can see?” she asks. 

 

He shakes his head. “No,” he whispers. 

 

“Then go,” she urges him and he runs, not caring if anybody see’s Arthur James the son of CEO Uther Pendragon, running in the hallway. He gets yelled at multiple times and the yelling stops when people seem to realize who he is. But he hasn’t felt freer in ages, and he nearly woops in glory. Ten minutes later, he boards the bus, and heads to the address, he calls Morgana to let her know that he’s on his way. 

 

“Great,” she responds, “I’m just calling them now. She says she’s expecting you, and can’t wait to meet you.” 

 

“Who is she?” he asks. 

 

“Her name is Hunith and she runs a safe house for people who need a place to stay.” 

 

“You’ve been planning this for years haven’t you?” he asks, unsurprised that Morgana has contacts like this. 

 

“Yes,” the answer comes out straight away, “Now I have to go Arthur, before Uther catches on. Don’t worry about calling either, it’s a secure line, and I have you added as a business contact into my phone, in case Uther decides to check. It disguises your voice for a deeper far manlier one,” he can hear her grin even as she says these words. 

 

He grins, thankful that Morgana is at least very manipulative. He smiles, whispers, “Love you,” as an added thought. The line goes quiet before Morgana whispers the same thing he repeated back to her. “Love you little brother. Good bye,” and the phone is hung up and returns to the dial tone. 

 

He stayed on the bus, until it deposited him onto a street corner on the second to last stop. He was on the very edge of the town now, and couldn’t believe it. He walked the two blocks until he got to the house, the last one in a large roundabout, an old brick house, that was huge, but overgrown with weeds and such. Peering into the backyard he saw that it was very huge as well, but once again overgrown. Sighing he went up to the door, and rapped three times against the wooden door. The inner door opened, revealing a screen between him and who was on the other side. And who would be on the other side but Merlin?

 

“Arthur, what are you doing here?” he asked, clearly surprised, eyes wide, as he looked around his eyes falling on Arthur's One and only bag. 

 

“Um...I’m sorry...I guess I got the wrong house,” he starts to turn away, before thinking that would be a very bad idea indeed as he has no idea where to go. “You by chance don’t happen to know where Hunith halfway house is, do you?” he asked. 

 

He watched as Merlin opened his mouth before realizing that was somehow rude and snapping it closed once again. “Hunith’s halfway house is right here. Run by my mum and I,” that made Arthur want to curl into himself. However Merlin, sensing his unease, holds open the door. “come on in,” he nearly whispers his voice is a bit hoarse, and we’ll get you settled in.” 

 

He leads the poor boy into the house, as he calls his mum who comes to greet him and lead him to his room. then she comes down the stairs and back to cooking dinner. “Mum, what’s he here for?” he asked, wondering what was going on. How could someone so rich, be here in a halfway house?

 

His mother sighed, wringing her hands in the dish towel. “Merlin…” 

 

“Mum, please.” 

 

She sighs. “Very well, sit,” she gestures to the table. He sits. 

 

“The way this halfway house is funded, is by Morgana Pendragon. Apparently she has dealt with some of these...symptoms before.” 

 

“Huh?” 

 

“You know what I mean, dear boy. As I was saying, Morgana Pendragon used to come here, now it seems Arthur does as well.”

 

“You still haven’t answered my question mum.” 

 

“I can’t answer that Merlin, that’s for him to tell you if he so wishes. Now here you go,” she puts a bunch of towels in his hands, “Get up those stairs and give these to Arthur. Tell him to stay as long as he likes.” 

 

“Will do,” merlin says, as he goes up the stairs. He knocks three times, before hearing the “Come in,” and so he goes in, not knowing that he’d find Arthur with his shirt off. All along his back, are small scars, from white to a pale pink of scar tissue. Bruising covers the remainder, dappled with yellow, green, black and purple. 

 

“I’m sorry,” Merlin stutters as Arthur turns to see him and immediately looks around for a safe haven. He hadn’t wanted to be seen by Merlin like this. “Mum wanted me to bring up some fresh towels, and tell you you can stay as long as you’d like. Oh! And dinner’s at 7,” he says in a rush, clearly looking for an escape as Arthur is. 

 

“Thanks,” Arthur says, taking the towels from him. 

 

“Oh and the first aid kits, are with me, so if you happen to need some treatment um…” he lets the statement hang in the air. Arthur stands stock still like a deer in the headlights before bringing his mouth into a tight smile. 

 

“Sure Merlin, I’d like that. Could you meet me here, as soon as you can?” Merlin nods, as he quickly exits the room. He’s back with the first aid kit, in about five minutes or so. 

 

“Sit on the bed, with your back facing me,” he whispers, clearly nervous. But Arthur’s smiling, even though he’s also nervous, and pretty soon, they’re sitting on the bed, and Merlin’s swiping antibiotic cream over the new flesh wounds in Arthur’s flesh. Meanwhile, Arthur’s talking, and the conversation shifts over to what Morgana had done to get him out of there, and what Uther has been doing to him and her, for all this time, and how nobody knows because he can’t tell them. Ever. They would laugh or leave him or something, and he can’t take that, it would make him fall apart. 

 

Merlin only smiles softly, as he starts to wrap the bandage around Arthur’s back, and across his chest. He’s not thinking of his majestically pecs, even though they are pretty majestic. Instead he’s thinking of the man here in front of him, who is far too broken and keeps trying to live life to it’s fullest. And then he replies, in all honest hearnest, with a small blush across his face. “Well if you need anyone to speak with, you can always come talk to me. And besides, if you told your friends, I’m sure they would support you no matter what. Unless you think it’s new friends you need.” 

 

He shakes his head, his eyes particularly fearful. “Are you sure they wouldn’t hate me? Would they even understand?” There’s so much hurt and torment in his words that Merlin’s heart is out to him. 

 

“Arthur sweetie,” he whispers, and he’s questioning his ability to make use of proper word choice right now, “They’re your friends. They will support you every step of the way. While they may not understand, they will try to understand and that’s the best anyone can do.” 

 

“But how...how can I tell them?” he asks, and again Merlin is thinking of a solution. 

 

“you could bring em’ here, to Mum’s halfway house. Show em’ the wounds. I doubt they’ve seen you changing, correct?” 

 

He nods his head to show that Merlin is indeed correct. 

 

“Then all you need to do is explain. I’ll be here for you if you’d like.” 

 

“You’d do that for me? I know I haven’t been the greatest…” 

 

“You mean the fact that you’ve been a royal prat?” 

 

He nods his head. “Something like that.” 

 

Merlin smiles. “But it seems you’ve changed, and that’s all I can ask of anyone really.”

 

“Really now Merlin?” Arthur is smiling with his head turned to see Merlin, and his lips are so delectable, and soft, and-

 

“Merlin?” his voice brings him out of his thoughts. 

 

“Yeah Arthur?” he asks, finishing wrapping the bandage, and going to check Arthur for any additional injuries. He makes him take off his pants, till he’s just in his boxers, and upon finding multiple wounds on his legs, starts to attend to them. 

 

“But I’ve also got another secret. But how do I tell them, I mean-” He looks at Merlin. “Why am I even telling you, I’ve known you for like less than 24 hours.” 

 

“Really?” he asks. 

 

“Yes, really Merlin, do try and keep up.” 

 

“But it seems like, we’ve known each other for more than this. Like a lifetime,” he replies. Arthur gives him a look one that makes him feel like he’s full of stupidity. 

 

“If I knew you, I would have never been able to forget you Mer-lin,” he tugs the name out, drags it out with his voice, that causes a pain in Merlin’s heart, and makes him think that he knows Arthur from some where. But instead he jokes it off. 

 

“Yeah, I guess I would remember such a royal prat,” and laughs, as he finishes tending to one wound and works his way to the next one. Arthur joins in with the laugh and it’s heartfelt and warm, and everything. He finishes up the last would on his thigh before makes his way to Arthur’s chest, where there’s a huge slash. 

 

“Um...Arthur, I can’t reach,” he says, because he’s in an awkward position, and there’s Arthur’s gorgeous chest, and fuck. 

 

“Um, here let me move,” he says, and that totally didn’t work, and so put them in an awkward-er position. And Arthur can’t reach or touch it, cuz Merlin knows it’s going to hurt very badly because it’s deeper than the rest, and he hopes to high hell it won’t leave a scar. Will it? 

 

It seems however, he was right to worry, especially by the fact that Arthur grips him by the hips and pulls him into his lap. 

 

“There,” he says smirking a little that he has found a solution that he likes, “ Is that better for you Mer-lin?” Again with the name dragging out things. But Merlin has this adorable little blush that’s dusting his cheeks, and that he’s trying so hard to hide, and Arthur can’t help but think that he’s cute and perfectly right up his alley, and then he’s flinching because Merlin’s rubbing across the wound to clean out the dirt and other stuff that has gotten into it, and it hurts like a bitch. Merlin’s mumbling a little sorry here and there, and then there’s relief when he puts the ointment on, and the bandage is again wrapping around him, to the point that he feels Merlin’s hands on his chest and on his back and it’s making little warm tinglies that go throughout his body, and-

 

“Arthur are you all right?” he hears Merlin mumbling his name with concern. 

 

“Yeah,” he whispers, “I was just thinking how I don’t want you to leave.” That caused Merlin to scoot back as far as he could, holding his nose, and his face blushing a tomato red. Arthur laughed, and pulled him back onto his lap, so that he could finish bandaging the next portion of his chest up. When he did so, Merlin was about to pull his hands away, but Arthur held them in place. 

 

“Arthur?” he asked, looking into the man’s baby blue eyes, and seeing his smile and just wondering how he could make this man his, but he was scared. 

“Stay with me?” he asked, saying it warm and happily, but there was fear in his eyes. Fear that Merlin would reject him. And then there was also a glimmer of hope. 

 

Merlin nodded slowly, as if he could see that he would awaken a beast within Arthur. “Yeah,” he said, “I’d love to, especially since me mum made a certain prat take my bedroom.” That’s when Arthur really took a look at his surroundings, and found that Merlin was correct, and Arthur was indeed in Merlin’s bedroom. 

 

“why?” he asked, at the exact time that Merlin blushed, ducked his head, and muttered something that sounded a lot like, “Don’t ask.” 

 

“Come on Merlin, you’ve got to tell me,” he whispers seductively in his ear, only for Merlin to make a nice squeak, and sit up straight, his hand covering his ear. If Arthur thought that Merlin couldn’t blush even more, he sure was wrong. Instead of a red, there was a nice even pink all over Merlin’s face, and it made the other boy want to kiss him, compassionately so. If only to make him turn that nice shade of red again. 

 

“she found out that I’ve got a crush on a certain royal prat okay?” he mutters and that makes Arthur break out into the biggest smile ever. 

 

“REally? Merlin, do you like me?” he sang that made Merlin hide his face in his hands, and mutter a mumbled yes. Arthur made him uncover his hands, and looked straight into his very eyes, a smirk playing on his lips. Before Merlin could even think of what was going to happen, Arthur’s lips were against his, in the sort of mind-numbing, melting, sweet and tender kiss, that Merlin now found himself in. 

 

They were soft, pushing against his, even as Arthur kept his palm on Merlin’s face, the other hand, the left one to be exact, snaked it’s way around his hips and pulled him in close. Slowly, a wet appendage, made it’s way to his mouth, licking and sucking along his lower lip, asking for entry. Merlin complied, allowing it in, as it licked up the insides of his mouth, before swirling with his own tongue. It finally withdrew, and one last chaste kiss was planted on his lips before Arthur turned to plant a kiss, to his nose, both his eyelids, one on both cheeks, and finally one on his forehead. 

 

“Come Merlin, let’s both get some sleep, we can talk about where this path will take us in the morning,” he whispers to the boy who is already halfway between a yawn, and crawling into bed, meanwhile still half wrapped around Arthur. 

 

“Mmmm...kay,” yawns Merlin, tiredness filtering through his voice, “But you will be my boyfriend won’t you?” 

 

The question is honest, and with that sort of abruptness that Arthur knows he likes. He’s smiling before he knows, it, and is holding Merlin, whilst getting into bed himself with that kind of gentle softness that he remembers his mother having. “Of course I will,” he whispers in Merlin’s ear, making the boy shiver, and wrap his arms around him tighter, “Will you have me?” He means to ask the question, playfully but it comes out serious, and the fear of rejection is there in his eyes. 

 

“Of course,” Merlin mumbles sleepily, “How could I not have fallen for you?” he mumbles and that makes Arthur feel all gooey on the inside. He lays another kiss on his forehead, and then falls asleep, nestled side by side against Merlin, all curled up and tucked into bed. 

 

Chapter 3

When he woke up the next morning, it was to find Arthur all wrapped up around him. Reviewing in his head, the kind of conversation they had last night made Merlin want to blush. And they proclaimed that they were now each other’s boyfriends, that was something Merlin was especially looking forward to, now that he had claimed a hunk of a guy. ‘maybe that’s what Arthur was trying to tell me last night,’ he thought to himself, ‘he could have been trying to out himself. Tell me that he’s gay.’ Either way Merlin shrugged, and dove back under the covers, curling around Arthur. His thoughts could wait. He had sleep and a boy to catch up on. 

 

Arthur stirred when he felt that Merlin had woken up, but then he resettled, and Arthur quickly thought how he would have to thank Morgana immensely because without her, this might never have happened. And to snog his dastardly handsome boyfriend when he woke up. But for now, he would continue having a dream about him and his new dastardly handsome boyfriend shagging. What a beautiful story indeed. 

 

They both woke up on thursday morning, and after turning the radio on and finding out that school was cancelled thanks to a blizzard that decided to snow them in, in the middle of December, the two rejoiced. Arthur didn’t get a chance to snog his boyfriend, but he did get a chance to push a kiss to his forehead, before leaping out of bed. “Where you headed off to this early?” Merlin asked, yawning, with no desire to move from the warm comforts of his bed. 

 

“Morgana’s coming here to check on me, and I’d rather show her my new boyfriend than have her find out, and nearly kill you.” Merlin shrugged it off. 

 

“Morgana’s met me a multitude of times. Best friends if you will. Besides, I’m betting she’d rather do something evil to you Arthur, than to me.” 

 

“Evil? That’s one way to put it I guess,” Arthur mimes a shiver, that leaves Merlin grinning and reaching to swallow him up into a huge hug. 

 

“Come back into bed mate, we can sleep an hour more. And you’ll be oh so warm,” Merlin grins with a wink. 

 

Arthur’s tempted to get back in bed, with this handsomely devilish man, who was soon to say, “You ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight?” and gave an eyebrow thrust that flooded Arthur’s heart with warm. But he resisted, threw on some clothes, and told Merlin to meet him downstairs, only to find Morgana, waiting patiently in the kitchen, with a cup of tea in hand. Her eyes narrowed. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t my baby brother,” she said with a sort of evil that made him shudder, “How has things been with you, seeing as you have some...bite marks….or should I call them love bites...on your shoulder?” That made Arthur look, realize that he had them, and slam a hand over his shoulder. 

 

“Merlin’s the lucky one, tell him I said congradulations,” that made Arthur look confused. 

 

“Oh please, brother dear, I knew you were gay since day one when father had you for that dreadful match making ceremony. Besides, is Merlin any good in bed?” 

 

That made Arthur nearly choke on the coffee he was drinking. 

 

“Why are you here Morgana?” he choked out after nearly coughing up a lung.

 

“Well I wanted to see how my baby brother was doing, and say that father’s asking your little friends where you are. Not that they’d ever give you away of course. Thought you ought to know. And they’re coming over here tonight. Got some sort of questions to ask you. So be prepared.” 

 

She sang those last three words, straight out of the Lion King and Arthur thought to himself that she had never looked so smug. 

 

“Well, do you happen to konw what time they’re coming over? Or even how they know what address to come over to?” 

 

“Oh don’t worry about that,” Morgana waved her hand, “I of course supplied the address. And they should be coming over here today.” 

 

That made Arthur this time actually choke on the coffee he was drinking and spit it all out. “At what time?” he cried, and she shrugged, clearly thinking that wasn’t something important, nor should she be responsible for it. Then there was the doorbell ringing, and a rather large knock on the door. 

 

“i’ll get it,” says Morgana in a sing song voice as she approaches the door, and opens it. Elyon had raised his hand again to knock and behind him, was Leon, Gwaine, Lancelot, Percival (although they all called him Percy),and Gwen, who rushed in before the others could say a word. 

 

“hi Morgana,” she said with a quick nod, “Merlin’s in the usual spot isn’t he?” 

 

Morgana nearly nodded her head, as she climbed the stairs two at a time. In no time at all they heard a rather large thunk that came from upstairs (Arthur thinks Gwen pulled Merlin out of bed) and in no time at all, the pair came back down the stairs, Merlin looking oddly sheepish, and completely dressed, leaving Arthur to grumble a bit inside his head, but then supposed this was a fine thing. 

 

“So Arthur,” Gwaine starts first mozying right on up to him. “What is a rich prat like you doing in a halfway house?” Despite all the seriousness Merlin is smiling, and Arthur comes to realize that Gwaine and Merlin must be hanging around with each other because how on earth otherwise would Gwaine pick up the usage of the word ‘prat’? 

 

But the smile that was on Merlin’s face was completely replaced with a neutral expression as he waited for Arthur to tell his friends the fate that had befallen him. So Arthur sighed, and instead of answering Elyon’s question, turned around and lifted his shirt over his shoulders, hiding his face in it, as he waited for his friends to see the small scars, bruises and other wounds. He waited for the gasps, and soon enough he heard it. 

 

“What happened?” was the question that arose the loudest, and he was terrified, frightened how to respond to that. But it seems he needn’t have worried, for it was the fact that Morgana told his friends of the fate that had befallen him. She told of what Uther had done to her, his ward, the bastard child of the family. But when she told him that a bastard child such as herself would never be fit for the family business, he turned to Arthur. At first all was well, especially the fact that Ygraine was still alive. But when his wife died, the old man once again grew bitter and lashed out, this time at Arthur. His friends were silent the whole way through, watching him with horror filled gazes, as their eyes turned to realization, that was why he always tried to be on time, why he looked scared when Uther looked at him, why he didn’t change in front of them in the locker rooms or always took a shower last. And when Morgana finished, they all moved as one, grabbing both him and Morgana in a big hug that made him gasp in shock, and have tears streaming down his face. Morgana simply gasped in shock, before giving back the hug. They stayed like that, locked in each other’s embrace for a while, before they pulled themselves apart. 

 

“Thank you guys for understanding,” he whispers, but it seems his best friend Leon, who has known him for many more years than the rest of his friends, knows that he is hiding something else. 

 

“That is not all you wished to tell us was it?” asks Leon, and Arthur stiffens, looking to Merlin. He probably shouldn’t have done that, because Merlin had a predatory smile on his face as he sauntered up to Arthur. He grabbed the prat, and pulled him in close, one hand around his waist, as he looked at Arthur, his smile turning into a great big grin, as he kissed Arthur in front of all of his friends right then and there. All of them, stopped in their tracks with eyes wide in circles of shock, mouth’s hanging open, that Morgana had to shut all of their mouths right then and there, because ‘you’ll catch flies dears.’ 

 

When Merlin finally let Arthur go, who was breathing hard and had his face shoved into Merlin’s chest, Merlin was staring predatorily at his friends, “He’s mine you chumps, so if you try to make a move on him so help me god-” 

 

And Gwaine laughed. And laughed, and laughed. And everybody stared at him. 

 

“Oh Merlin, come now, you’re not the only one whose got a partner here,” said Gwaine, as he started naming off the couples. “Lance aka Lancelot and Gwen. Percy aka Percival and moi,” Gwaine smacked his lips on that one, “Morgana is dating Leon, good job mate. I don’t think I’m missing anybody but I could be wrong.” 

 

Lance swung into action. “Elyon’s...dating somebody, but he won’t mention who.” 

 

“Quite right,” Gwaine said with a cheer as he laughed, and looked from Arthur to Merlin. “Then again, we don’t mind that you’re gay so long as you don’t prey on our beau’s we’re good.” 

 

Merlin looked back at Arthur, and Arthur looked back at the predatory smirk Merlin was handing him. “So uh...where to from here?” he asked. 

 

Merlin smirked. “Come now, we’ve got a King to ursurp.” 

 

***

Merlin woke up from the dream, clutching his pillow like he had done for the last couple of years. For hundreds of years, he had stood by the lake waiting for Arthur’s return, waiting for him to show his face, so that Merlin could tell him that he missed him. For four years now, he had had this same dream, every night. It was the dream where he and Arthur didn’t know of their past history, or of their friends past history, and didn’t recognize anyone, but still met up and still became something together. But tonight the dream had changed, and he was allowed to kiss Arthur and it wasn’t Arthur,but it was still Arthur, and it was so Arthur that every time Merlin woke up crying. But at the end of this last dream, something had changed.

 

Freya had come to him, in all of her former glory, when she wasn’t down at the bottom of the lake. At the end of the dream. Something that didn’t ever happen, because he normally woke up, alone, crying quietly into his pillow. 

 

“Merlin,” she whispered, “Merlin, please, why are you waiting?” 

 

He had looked at her, as if she was daft, “I’m waiting for Arthur of course,” he said rather angrily at the fact that she didn’t know. 

 

She shook her head. “But he is waiting for you Merlin. It cannot be complete until all of the original members are back in Camelot.” 

 

“Camelot’s gone, destroyed!” he yelled at the top of his lungs at her. “I’ve watched the generations fly past, and all this time I have been waiting for Arthur, my Arthur, and wishing that when he was dying I hadn’t just told him about my magic, but the fact that I have loved him, LOVED HIM, for all these years, and all the many more.” 

 

Freya sounded sad. “But he has been waiting for you. Every hour, every day, every year, through the looking glass that Morgana has rigged. He has watched you fall apart, and has waited for you to come home. Home is where Camelot is, past the sidhe, who are the guardians of the dead.” 

 

“But I can’t, I can’t die, I’ve-I’ve tried,” he whispered, and he has. He has tried hanging himself, shooting a gun through his head, and whatever magic that has helped him keep Arthur alive all those years ago, has kept him alive, past that. 

 

Freya nodded. “I know you have Merlin. And so I will help you. Do what you must in the living, and tomorrow night I will guide you to the realm of the dead.” 

 

He had nodded. “And I’ll see Arthur again?” 

 

She nodded her head. “And you’ll see Arthur again. But this time, tell him eh Merlin?” and she had disappeared. He didn’t have much to do in the world of the living, as he was a wanderer. So the next day he wandered back towards the lake, and laid down, and fell into a deep sleep, where once again he met Freya. 

 

“Are you ready Merlin?” she asked, and he nodded.

 

“Please, just take me back,” he whispered, and she took his hand, and he was thrust into a world he hardly knew, and yet it was a part of him. He was in the forest, the forest where he used to hunt all the time with Arthur and he walked back at a brisk pace, and soon he was in the field where he used to call Kilgharrah all the time, and so he did. 

 

“Young warlock, you are back, at long last,” said the dragon, “It is glad to see you,” and that in itself was heartfelt. 

 

“It is good to see you too Kilgharrah. Tell me, where Is Arthur?” 

 

“Arthur Pendragon? He is in the castle, looking into the stone, Morgana had crafted to see you.” The old dragon turned to go. 

 

“Wait, Kil? How are you?” Merlin asked. The dragon nodded his head though he raised an eyebrow at the nickname that had just slipped out of Merlin’s mouth, “I am well. My friends, my family, my mate is here. And at long last, I may even find my dragon rider. I shall see thee soon young warlock.” And the dragon took off, smiling, Merlin looked down at himself, to find that he was younger, and had his old clothes on. He smiled, he felt a lot more like himself. 

 

And so he walked the path through the village, to the gate, and was shocked to find there standing at the gate, was Leon, Lancelot, Elyan, Gwaine and Percival. They were standing in sadness, as many of the people had he came to realize. For he was not here, and Arthur was in perpetual sadness. Even though they were together, they weren’t together, they weren’t truly complete.

 

He walked up to them, and they hadn’t yet seen him. So he tried, “Hey what are you doing, slacking on the job?” he asked, in that cheerful voice, that made them turn in sadness only to watch them break out with grins on their faces. 

 

“Merlin? Is that you?” Gwaine cried, as the rest threw down their swords, and ran at him. “It is! It is Merlin!” they cried, and grabbed at him, hugging him, and slapping him on the back. 

 

“It’s great to see you guys,” Merlin said, breaking out in smiles, “But where’s Arthur?” That calmed down the atmosphere real quick. 

 

“Arthur’s in his room, where he always is. Gazing out the window, and wishing you were here.” 

 

“What? The prat couldn’t survive without me?” he asked jokingly but seeing their faces he knew it to be true. 

 

“I-I was just a servant to him. Nothing more. Why would he-?” It was Leon who answered that question. 

 

“You were more to him Merlin. You were his best friend, his best mate. And I suspect there was something more that could come to bloom between the two of you. Go, find him now. But first, go tell Gaius you are alive and well.” 

 

That made Merlin smile at the old physician’s name, and so he climbed the stairs to the physician’s room, and opened the door, and closed it behind him. “Gaius?” he called out, “Are you there?” 

 

“Oh, what does someone want now?” he heard the voice call out, as it turned away from the shelf where vials were collected and towards his voice. 

 

“It can’t be, is that you? Merlin?” 

 

“Gaius!” Merlin cried, as he was swept into the arms of the old physician, “Oh it is you, Merlin, thank goodness you’re back. Have you seen Arthur yet?” He pulled him away from him at arm's length and asked him with an eyebrow raise. 

 

“No I haven’t. Seen all the knights though. Made em’ promise not to tell Arthur. I wanted a surprise.” That made Gaius chuckle. 

 

“Well, we can catch up later, now go, run along, he’s the one who’s been missing you the most,” he said as he tapped his almost ‘son’ on the shoulder. “Go, go,” and So Merlin, with one last smile, headed out the door, and headed to Arthur’s rooms. He didn’t find Arthur there, and asked a servant, who simply said that Arthur was in the throne room as he had a meeting with Gwen. Gwen however, had stormed out of the throne room, and had bumped into Merlin, and with a hushed squeal and a couple of hugs later, had sent him on his way, as Arthur the “prat” was apparently in a “mood.” 

 

He nodded at the guards, who allowed him in, and shut the doors. “Gwen is that you, I told you, I’m not leaving until I see Merlin in this damn mirror again, why isn’t it working? I-” 

 

He turned and stood stock still. “Hello Arthur,” said Merlin waiting. 

 

“It can’t be, are you-real? Is that, really you Merlin?” 

 

“Would it be anyone else?” he asked. And then with a run, Arthur ran and threw his arms around Merlin’s neck. 

 

“I’m so sorry, it's okay for you to have magic, and you’re back, you’re finally back.” 

 

“and it’s really you Arthur,” mumbled Merlin through his tears, “It’s really you, and I have loads to tell you and even more to say,” he cried. 

 

“I know,” whispered Arthur, stroking Merlin’s hair even as he cried into his shoulder, “I know.” And then they sank to their knees, Merlin curled up in Arthur’s lap as he stroked his hair, and allowed himself to cry, and it seemed that they were having a moment if it wasn’t for the knights who busted into the room along with Gwen and saw what was going on. 

 

With all of them in no time at all, they set to explaining, and it was rather quick. They told how Uther had met Ygraine again and had moved to a small remote kingdom far far away, how Arthur had lifted the ban of magic, and had made Avalon although it was a slow process with conflicts all the time, how people here could still be killed, and they would disappear from anywhere to a couple hours to a couple of years, and where they went he didn’t know. But they would return, with a haunted look in their eyes that said they never wanted to go back there ever again. They explained how a dragon had arrived two years ago, and had told them that the ‘young warlock,’ as he was called, was coming back, and so they had waited. 

 

Merlin then told them that he was the last dragonlord, probably not the last dragonlord now though, and that led Arthur to understand that Balinor was his father and that’s why he cried. They spent half the night talking and then some, and when Merlin finally fell asleep from being worn out, he did so on Arthur’s lap, with his friends watching him fondly. 

 

“He had magic? Why didn’t he tell me?” Gwaine was moaning at Lancelot who had offered him quite a few reasons why. The rest of the knights just laughed at Gwaine’s antics. 

 

“Should we take him to Gaius?” Leon had asked about Merlin. 

 

“No,” Arthur had said almost fondly, “I’ll take him to my room, and he’ll sleep there.”

 

“With you...sire?” asked Gwen with a little laugh, as Arthur watched her wrap an arm around Lancelot. 

 

“yes,” he replied, “He will soon be mine,just like Gwaine you are Percival’s, or just like Lancelot, you are Gwen’s,” he gave a little wink that showed the two he was perfectly fine with it, and then picked up Merlin and carried him to his room. He settled Merlin in bed there, knowing that they still had a great deal of catching up to do, and then slid into the bed with him. Carefully he put an arm around Merlin, effectively spooning against him, but before he did so, before he even slid into bed, he had cupped Merlin’s cheek and kissed him on the forehead. Then he got into bed, and blowing out the candles, cuddled against him and settled into the first good sleep he had had in ages. 

 

A long while off in the crystal cave, the druids watched this future, and took it down in a book. The dragons watched Kilgharrah tell of this story with adamant detail and asked if possibly the young warlock could be his dragon rider? The old dragon had shaken his head, and yet he couldn’t help wonder if that was true. It would certainly explain some things. Ah well, that was a story for another day. 

 

Chapter 4

 

“ah,” Merlin woke up the next morning, bolted upright out of bed, and was nearly halfway to throwing the bed sheets off when Arthur grabbed him around the waist and pulled him back to bed. 

 

“It’s too early,” he moaned, “Go back to sleep.” That made Merlin turn around, and gasp running his fingers through his hair and muttering things under his breath. 

 

“It is you, oh god, It really is you Arthur, I thought-I thought-” 

 

Arthur woke up a little bit, enough to prop his head on his hand and with a grin, and toying with Merlin’s hair, asked, “What? Did you think I was a dream?” 

 

But the jokingly mood slid away, when Arthur stared at his face. “Merlin?” he asked, worried about the guy. He turned his head, and there he saw the red rims around it, the tears threatening to spill out. “Merlin?” again he asked, but this time he didn’t know what had caused it. 

 

“For so long I waited for you, Arthur. I would go to sleep, and dream of you, and Gwaine, and Lance-and when I woke that’s all it was, it was only a dream. And now, you’re here-you’re-you’re real.” 

 

“Of course I’m real Merlin,” Arthur puffs out, “And so are you. Now come on, get dressed and come with me, there’s someone special I want you to meet.” 

 

And when they make it to the stone courtyard, two people stood there. Both were familiar to Merlin. 

 

The first he bowed his head to. “Mordred,” He said. Mordred nodded in his direction, then knelt before him. 

 

“I’m sorry Merlin,” he said, making Merlin shocked, “I didn’t know what you did, you could have killed me because of some prophecy but instead you let me live. I’m so sorry,” he went on. 

 

“Stand up,” commanded Merlin and when Mordred didn’t rise he said it again. “Stand up.” He walked down the steps and put a hand on Mordred’s shoulder. 

 

“It’s alright,” he forces himself to say, “I forgive you.” Mordred nods at him, and Merlin can’t help himself when his arms find their way around Mordred. Mordred himself is shocked, but relaxes into the hug, and when it ends, the two of them have somehow rebuilt anew their bond together. 

 

And then Merlin walks down the rest of the steps, and into the arms of the man he has seen for most of his time, travelling the stars, and coming back to earth. The Doctor. 

 

“You’re really here,” he whispers, “But how?” 

 

The Doctor chuckles, in his pinstripe suit, and his wild hair that seems so fluffy, and his converse sneakers that all the knights have been pointedly looking at. “ The gods of Death gave me a pass. Never knew. Anywho, they are allowing the Tardis through the time lock as many times as I wish, to see my dead friend,” the doctor’s eyes crinkle up at the corners, “you know I never did like endings.” 

 

Arthur, finally getting over his shock, starts down the remainder of the steps. “Merlin, who is this?” he asks. Merlin smiles broadly, which catches Arthur off guard. 

 

“This is one of my oldest friends Arthur, his name’s the Doctor.” 

 

“Doctor Who?” 

 

“Just, the Doctor,” the guy says, looking up at him. “Oh goodness, you really are King Arthur Pendragon aren’t you?” 

 

Arthur just looks confused. “Of course I am,” he says. 

 

“You didn’t really think I was lying did you?” Merlin asks, the man, who simply throws back his head and laughs. 

 

“This is brilliant really, very brilliant! I always knew there was something about you!” 

 

“Well, I also met a roman soldier, and we played chess every year, and he liked to tell me stories about the Doctor…” 

 

The Doctor got a queasy feeling. “No spoilers!” he cried startling both Arthur and Merlin, “That isn’t part of my time frame yet,” he says yet again as if they are supposed to understand what that means. 

 

The Doctor with a few simple words to Merlin, excuses himself, saying he has things to do, places to be, and Merlin really needed to catch up with Arthur as he hasn’t seen him in thousands of years. Merlin with a smile on his lips, gives the Doctor a hug, and whispers into his ear, “You be good and come back now and again ja?” 

 

The Doctor smiles, as he says back, “you know, I’m here and around, and I’ve got a time machine! Of course I’ll be back!” with that carefree smile of his. But once again, Merlin pulls him close and whispers, “You’re one of the only true friends I’ve got in the living world, of course ya gotta come back sometime!” 

 

The Doctor sobers just a bit, because he realizes that his friend is dead, and the only reason he is here is because of Death Gods who have a soft fondness for Time Lords and their various ways of cheating them, and nods, and says with pain in his voice, no longer carefree like he seemed a moment ago, “Of course I will, I’ll always come back. Especially when I’ve no more regenerations left to cheat.” 

 

Merlin seeming satisfied with his answer lets him go, and walks back up to Arthur, as they watch the Doctor get into his little blue box and disappear. 

 

“So who was that guy really?” Arthur asked, confused, as he had been throughout the entire exchange. 

 

“I’ll tell you everything,” he promised. 

 

***

Three hours later, and Merlin had explained most of what had happened in the thousands of years he had been separated from Arthur. Arthur couldn’t believe it, this was Merlin, the Merlin that he knew, fused with several thousands of years of the Merlin that he didn’t know, and somewhere, somehow, he was still falling for him. 

 

“Merlin?” Arthur asked nervously. 

 

“Yeah?” Merlin asked. 

 

“Well I uh...I like you, like, as in I have a crush on you, and i was wondering if I could...kiss you?” 

 

Merlin smiled, a smile that nearly made Arthur’s heart melt. 

 

“Of course you can you dollophead,” Merlin grinned, and wrapped his arms around Arthur and they went in for the kiss. 

 

At first it was tender and soft, but soon enough it evolved into a kiss full of passion, lips pressed together harder as they each fought for dominance. Soon enough, Arthur had won, and flipped Merlin over onto the mattress, kissing him harder than ever before. Finally pulling away so that they could get a breath in, he looks down at Merlin to see him thouroughly ruffled, and a pink blush across his cheeks, a smirk carefully balanced on his face. 

 

“Miss me that much eh?” he jokes. And normally Arthur is the one to keep the jest up, to let the joke continue until both are doubled over laughing. Not this time though. 

 

“Always,” he whispers as he leans back in for another kiss. This time, Merlin’s there to meet him, with a certain amount of tenderness, his hands coming to cup Arthur’s cheeks, drawing him in further. Tongues slip past the realm of lips and swirl together, making fanciful designs inside. They pull back again, only for Merlin to pull Arthur down, until he was sprawled next to him. 

 

“I’m glad you’re here,” he whispers to him, face in his chest, as he breathes in the scent that is pure Arthur, and knows that he’ll never leave. 

 

***

Merlin wakes up in a panic, frantic. He claws at the person who is trying to shush him, trying to hold down his kicking, flailing limbs, and- “MERLIN, what is wrong?” and he stares up into Arthur’s face. And then he realizes, it was all a dream. Well not all of it a dream, not the part of them being boyfriends, but the other part.But it felt- It felt so real. Like a memory of some sorts. But that couldn’t be possible right? 

 

“I had a dream,” he started, “And we were the Merlin and Arthur of Arthurian legend and we had finally met together once again, and then the Doctor showed up,” and then he realized how silly he sounded. 

 

Arthur chuckled. “I think you’ve been watching too much Doctor Who.” 

 

“Yeah,” Merlin chuckles as he snuggled into Arthur just a bit more. “I guess.” 

 

“You GUESS?! Who can name every single Doctor and facts about them, and all the companions they’ve had, and their favorite episodes and-” 

 

“Okay, okay, I get it, I get it. I guess I do watch too much Doctor Who,” he chuckles, but something is still clearly on his mind and Arthur can see it in his eyes. Merlin’s still worrying about something. 

 

“What are you worried about?” he asks, “If this is about my father, well, I don’t need his opinion anyway.” 

 

“Of course you do!” Merlin looks at him with wide eyes, “I mean, he’s your father, and well-” he had a hard time explaining his thoughts to Arthur, but somehow Arthur understood what he was trying to say. 

 

“Merlin, it’s alright. Yes, he’s my father, but he doesn’t dictate my life anymore. Besides, We’ve got so much left to do,” he whispered. Merlin looked up at him, head upon his chest. 

 

“You sure?” Arthur smiled a little at this. 

 

“Of course I am,” he whispered, and leant down to peck him on the lips, soft and sweet just as the first time they kissed. 

 

“Alright Arthur,” Merlin whispered a little smirk on his face like he was going to do something, “you dollophead.” 

 

Arthur nearly laughed out loud. “I’ll get you for that Merlin,” he cried out. However they never did get that chance, because within minutes both of them were cuddled next to each other, completely out. 

 

Chapter 5-The sickness and confrontation of Uther Pendragon. 

 

Merlin gripped his hand tight. “It’s okay,” he whispered under his breath, even as Arthur looked up at his childhood home, with pain in his eyes. “It’s going to be okay.” 

 

He sighed, and headed in. Morgana met him at the door. 

 

“He’s in a bad mood,” she whispered to him as she let him in. He nodded. 

 

“Well, this will probably make him worse,” he said, a strong sort of bravery in his voice. She nodded, eyebrows raised when she saw Merlin behind him. 

 

“You brought Merlin?” she asked. Arthur nodded. 

 

“Aren’t you scared he’s going to get hurt?” she asked in a hushed tone. 

 

He shook his head. “If my father pulls anything, I’ll protect him.” Morgana looked at him with a dubious look in her eyes, however she nodded her head, and pulled the door open enough to let Merlin in. 

 

“Be careful,” she whispered, as she turned and walked away, presumably somewhere in the house. 

 

Arthur found his father at the kitchen table, tons of bottles of prescription pills sitting there with it’s yellow glare, that told him something was wrong. He stopped in his tracks. 

 

“You’re sick?” he asked. His father looked at him with a weary gaze, made a movement as if to swipe the bottles away, but gave up. It was too late. His father nodded, tired. 

 

“How long?” he asked. Uther just shook his head as if asking him to stay silent. 

 

“HOW LONG?” Arthur yelled that surprised himself. Uther looked at him, a pitiful look in his eyes. 

 

“Ever since your mother died,” he whispered, with a little laugh, “Seem’s cancer’s giving me a run for the money.” 

 

“Cancer?” Arthur gasped out. 

Uther looked at him surprised. “Isn’t that why you’re here?” he asked. “Didn’t Morgana tell you?” 

 

Arthur shook, his head down. 

 

“Arthur?” Uther prompted, his voice soft, and kind, something Arthur hadn’t heard in over fifteen years. 

 

Arthur looked at him, tears in his eyes, streaming down his face. Using his fist, he wiped them away. 

 

“No, no she didn’t,” he replied. 

 

“Then, why are you here?” His father asked questionably. 

 

“I wanted to introduce you to my significant other,” Arthur said, pushing the sadness away, and feeling just a bit proud. 

 

“Oh? What kind of girl is she?” his father asked peering over his shoulder. 

 

“Actually, his name’s Merlin,” Arthur said as he pulled Merlin over to where he was, and snaked an arm around his waist. 

 

Uther just looked at them, his face slack and in shock, just blinking a couple of times. 

 

“Father?” Arthur asked scared. 

 

Uther looked at him, and sighed. “I was hoping you would bring a nice girl home,” Arthur bristled at that, “However...if he truly loves you, and you him, then...then I do not see why not.” 

 

Arthur gasped. “You’re...you’re okay with it?” 

 

His father nodded. “Now Arthur, if you will, please leave,” his father said, even as Morgana rushed into the room. 

 

“You forgot to take your pills again,” even as Arthur looked at the table with so many bottles and wondered how he could even remember which ones to take. 

 

“Help me to my chambers,” Uther whispered, and Arthur watched his father go. 

 

It was Merlin who led Arthur out. 

 

***

Two weeks later…

 

Uther Pendragon died an untimely death. Arthur the supposed “heir” who was supposed to take over the “throne,” decided that he didn’t want it. And so he passed it towards Morgana who smiled and thanked him. The employee’s cowered under her iron hand, however Arthur sometimes surprised her and them, and they were given a small thing of mercy. 

 

“Are you alright, Arthur?” merlin asked. 

 

Arthur looked at him, and couldn’t help but smile. 

 

“You know Merlin, sometimes i think I know you, and other times…” 

 

Merlin smiled, his eyes flashing golden in the light. “We’ll be alright won’t we?” 

 

Arthur looked at him and grinned. “Forever and always.” 

 

***

And as the boys had a grand ol’ time, a certain someone looked down from Avalon, someone who was in fact what most would call the Lady of the Lake. 

 

“You don’t remember Merlin. Or you do, but you think it just a dream. One day your memories of your past life will merge into the present,” she smiles slow and sweet, “But you might as well enjoy the time you have now, before life blows things out of proportion,” her eyes flashed gold. 

 

***

“Arthur?” Merlin stuttered.

 

“Yeah?” Arthur asked questionably.

 

“I have just one thing to tell you.” 

 

“What is it, Merlin?” He raised an eyebrow to that. 

 

“I have magic,” and Merlin’s eyes flashed gold.

THE END.

**Author's Note:**

> kudos+comments+bookmarks=gives me the strength of Arthur, the magic of Merlin, and the awesomeness of Gwaine haha.


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